How a Tiny Magnet Could Produce a Force Field Big Enough To Protect a Space Ship [Forcefields]

How a Tiny Magnet Could Produce a Force Field Big Enough To Protect a Space Ship [Forcefields]: "

While many hurdles are keeping us stuck here on Earth, our solar system's deadly radiation is chief among them. But scientists now think that a thumb-sized magnet could produce a force field big enough to shield an entire spaceship. More »

Where Did the Money to Rebuild Iraq Go?

Where Did the Money to Rebuild Iraq Go?: "

From the Good Blog:

Where Did the Money to Rebuild Iraq Go?

From the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, July 27, 2010 (PDF):

Weaknesses in DoD's financial and management controls left it unable to properly account for $8.7 billion of the $9.1 billion in DFI funds it received for reconstruction activities in Iraq. This situation occurred because most DoD organizations receiving DFI funds did not establish the required Department of the Treasury accounts and no DoD organization was designated as the executive agent for managing the use of DFI funds. The breakdown in controls left the funds vulnerable to inappropriate uses and undetected loss.

Pen ad features intricately tattooed Lego characters

Pen ad features intricately tattooed Lego characters: "

Boing Boing developer Dean Putney found these great advertisements for Pilot's Extra-Fine ballpoint pens. They're so thin you can draw these intricate tattoos on Lego people!

Arthur C. Clarke predicted satellite TV and GPS in the 40s and 50s

Arthur C. Clarke predicted satellite TV and GPS in the 40s and 50s: "

Above, a letter written by Arthur C. Clarke in 1956 predicting, quite accurately, aspects of the future of communications.

Is It Legal to Jailbreak and Unlock Your Cellphone? Copyright Office Officially Says, "Yes" [IPhone]

Is It Legal to Jailbreak and Unlock Your Cellphone? Copyright Office Officially Says, "Yes" [IPhone]: "

We've always considered jailbreaking well within the bounds of legal iPhone use, but if you've ever been concerned that jailbreaking your iPhone wasn't actually legit, the New York Times reports that The Library of Congress' Copyright Office has officially deemed jailbreaking exempt 'from a 1998 federal law that prohibits people from bypassing technical measures that companies put on their products to prevent unauthorized uses.' More »

Darth Bank Robber

Darth Bank Robber: "

A bank robber dressed as Darth Vader took ripped off a bank in Long Island on Thursday, armed with a semiautomatic (not a lightsaber -- fraud!).

'Darth Vader' Robs Bank on Long Island

(Thanks, David!)

• Vader joins the Lutheran Church of Iceland


• Darth Vader, blues harmonicist


• Darth Vader money


• 100 artists decorate 100 models of Darth Vader's head


• Darth, Interrupted: Does Vader have Borderline Personality ...


• Alex Brown: Untitled (Sad Vader)


• British Empire presents new kite to Darth Vader


• Font Vader

"

Vagina dentata condom distributed at the World Cup [Vagina Dentata]

Vagina dentata condom distributed at the World Cup [Vagina Dentata]: "

Rape-Ex, a female condom containing teeth so powerful a doctor would have to remove it if it was ever used, is allegedly being distributed at the World Cup. Is the Vagina Dentata the future of personal security? More »

The Stained Earth, Courtesy of BP [Oilpocalypse]

The Stained Earth, Courtesy of BP [Oilpocalypse]: "

The beautiful and crystalline Blue Marble is now the Stained Blue Marble, created using NASA's most spectacular view of Earth and one of the scenarios for the spreading of BP's oil, as simulated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. More »"

TrueCrypt 7.0 Gets Intel Hardware Acceleration and Better Automatic Mounting [Downloads]

TrueCrypt 7.0 Gets Intel Hardware Acceleration and Better Automatic Mounting [Downloads]: "

Windows/Mac/Linux: TrueCrypt, the smart and secure way to encrypt your data, has shipped a seventh version that can encrypt faster on select Intel hardware, as well as configure your encrypted volumes or drives to automatically mount with specific preferences. More »

Physicists reveal how the universe guarantees paradox-free time travel [Time Travel]

Physicists reveal how the universe guarantees paradox-free time travel [Time Travel]: "

Time travel isn't just science fiction: Albert Einstein's general relativity suggests it could exist. And now we might have solved the tricky matter of time paradoxes. It's all just a question of adjusting probabilities. More »

Mysterious blast of X-rays is by far the brightest ever recorded [Space Porn]

Mysterious blast of X-rays is by far the brightest ever recorded [Space Porn]: "

A NASA telescope was temporarily blinded by the brightest X-rays ever detected from beyond our galaxy. The blinding light came from a gamma ray burst, the sign of a massive star collapsing into a black hole 500 billion light-years away. More »

New York Senator Charles Schumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs

New York Senator Charles Schumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs: "

New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) has written an open letter to Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs asking for a quick and transparent fix for the iPhone 4’s antenna woes. Citing the Consumer Reports report from several days ago, Schumer’s letter also asks for “a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength.” We’ve got the full letter for your scrutiny after the bounce.

July 15, 2010

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner. According to Consumer Reports’ review, released Monday on its website, the iPhone 4’s signal-strength problem is a hardwire glitch triggered by gripping the device in a particular manner. This finding, according to Consumer Reports, “call[s] into question” Apple’s recent claim that the problem is “largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software.” Consumer Reports declined to recommend the iPhone 4 because of this hardware design flaw.

Given the discrepancy between Consumer Reports’ explanation of the reception problem and the explanation provided by Apple in its July 2 letter to customers, I am concerned that the nearly two million purchasers of the iPhone 4 may not have complete information about the quality of the product they have purchased. The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device. To address this concern, I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called “death grip” malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient. These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones.

I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength; I further urge Apple to issue a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength, so that consumers can once again trust the product that they have invested in.

I look forward to Apple’s swift action on this matter, and once again laud Apple for its innovative efforts and service to millions of Americans.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

"

New images reveal the secret of how supermassive stars are born [Space Porn]

New images reveal the secret of how supermassive stars are born [Space Porn]: "

We've long known how stars like our Sun are born, but we weren't sure about their much bigger counterparts. This image of a dust-shrouded, supermassive baby star offers some answers. More »

Collapsible Input Pen Lets You Draw 3D Images On a 2D Surface [3D]

Collapsible Input Pen Lets You Draw 3D Images On a 2D Surface [3D]: "

It's difficult to create 3D images on a 2D surface because, well, you're missing a whole dimension. Enter Beyond, a collapsible input device that virtually extends the pen into the screen to create the 3D effect. More »

Scientist: We Have Proof That The Chicken Came Before The Egg [Mysterysolved]

Scientist: We Have Proof That The Chicken Came Before The Egg [Mysterysolved]: "

'It had long been suspected that the egg came first, but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first,' says Dr. Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University. Here's the explanation: More »
"

RIAA's return on $58 million in lawyer fees? Two Percent

RIAA's return on $58 million in lawyer fees? Two Percent: "

By Tim Conneally, Betanews

According to tax documents submitted for the years 2006 through 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has recovered only a tiny fraction of its total legal expenses through 'Anti-Piracy Restitution.'

The documents, hosted here, here and here by p2pnet and highlighted by New York attorney Ray Beckerman, show the RIAA's top five most highly compensated independent contractors for these three years. This included the law firms Holme, Roberts, and Owen, LLP, Jenner & Block, and Cravath, Swaine and Moore, who received a total of $17,614,901 in 2008 alone.

These firms are often at the helm of the RIAA's piracy cases. The RIAA's counsel in Capitol Records et al v. Jammie Thomas, for example, included attorneys from Holme, Roberts and Owen; and Jenner & Block famously helped the organization win the case to get P2P service Grokster shut down in 2005.

While the documents do not provide any information about non-monetary legal victories such as injunctions, site closures, and licensing agreements that this $17 million could have earned, in terms of strict dollar-for-dollar recovery, the organization claims to have earned only $391,000 in so-called anti-piracy restitution.

The 2007 document shows that $21,223,792 was spent on legal fees (nearly twice as much as it spent on the salaries and wages of its own employees,) and $515,929 was recovered. In 2006, it was the same story; $19,419,701 in legal fees, which translated to $455,643 in anti-piracy retribution.

Ultimately, the legal fees for these three years totaled $58,258,394 and the recoveries totaled $1,362,572.

In other words, for the millions the RIAA spent on litigation ostensibly related to piracy, it is only recovered 2.3% of it.

Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
"

21 Lutetia

21 Lutetia: "

The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission has returned pics of a flyby of asteroid 21 Lutetia.

The last one is a composite of two views. View the rest of the gallery at the ESA website. [via Metafilter]

"

Green Flash

Green Flash: ""

British Empire presents new kite to Darth Vader

British Empire presents new kite to Darth Vader: "

Britain's Ministry of Defense announced this unmanned fighter jet today, the Tiranus. Named for the Celtic god of bad-assery, it looks markedly more sinister than America's one, itself revealed in May. There's something about that blue-gray hangar ... it reminds me of something.

Photo: Sienar Fleet Systems.

MoD lifts lid on unmanned combat plane prototype [BBC]





"

Ridiculous-looking flying car approved by FAA

Ridiculous-looking flying car approved by FAA: "

Next year, those of you with a sport pilot license and $194,000 to burn will be able to buy an honest-to-Doc-Brown flying car. Sadly, the demo vehicle is not remotely as cool looking as a DeLorean. (Pesco says the production model is much slicker, and we'll feature an interview with the industrial designers behind the production vehicle in the coming weeks!)

As with many flying car prototypes I've seen over the years, the aesthetics of this demo version, called the Transition, suffers from Foldupwingitis, making it look like the illicit love child of an Aptera and an airport metal detector while in driving mode. That said, it gets a surprisingly reasonable 30 mpg on the highway (5 gallons per hour in flight). The intended customer seems to be private pilots who want to avoid airport waiting, shuttles and car rentals.

Take-off requires a mere 1/3 of a mile runway, which Popular Science says means you could use your street as an airstrip—but I suspect that may be illegal.

"

Judge slams, slashes "unconstitutional" $675,000 P2P award

Judge slams, slashes "unconstitutional" $675,000 P2P award: "

Judge Nancy Gertner knows that Joel Tenenbaum did it. Tenenbaum, the second US target of the RIAA's five-year litigation campaign to complete a trial, eventually admitted his music-sharing liability on the stand—and Judge Gertner issued a directed verdict against him. But when the jury returned a $675,000 damage award, they went too far. Way too far.

In fact, according to Gertner, they trampled the Constitution's 'Due Process' clause. In a ruling today, the judge slashed the $675,000 award by a factor of 10, to $67,500.

The Best and Strangest Views of Solar Eclipses from Space [Astronomy]

The Best and Strangest Views of Solar Eclipses from Space [Astronomy]: "

This Sunday there will be a total solar eclipse over the south Pacific Ocean, Chile and Argentina. Watching solar eclipses from Earth is a rare occurrence. Watching them from space is extraordinarily rare. Here are the best photos and videos. More »"

The Last Space Shuttle Tank [Spacecrafts]

The Last Space Shuttle Tank [Spacecrafts]: "

Sadness. With only two missions to go after the last launch, this is the latest shuttle tank ever to be manufactured. Designated E-138, it rolled out NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, to the beat of the Storyville Stompers. More »
"

Black hole emitting a giant gas bubble 1000 light-years wide [Space Porn]

Black hole emitting a giant gas bubble 1000 light-years wide [Space Porn]: "

A black hole only slightly heavier than our Sun is emitting the most powerful jets of energy ever seen, rivaling that of quasars a million times larger, and creating a bubble of hot gas and fast-moving particles 1000 light-years across. More »

The Secret Film of the CIA Supersonic Spy Plane's First Flight [Airplanes]

The Secret Film of the CIA Supersonic Spy Plane's First Flight [Airplanes]: "

This declassified Lockheed Martin video shows the first flight of the A-12, the super-secret spy plane precursor of the SR-71 Blackbird. Only 15 were made under the CIA's OXCART program. The story of this technological wonder is fascinating. More »"

New NASA Spitzer telescope image: The Magic Dragon

New NASA Spitzer telescope image: The Magic Dragon: "

Our astronomer friends at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab have just released a new picture from the Spitzer telescope. The Spitzer infrared view is on the top, and the visible-light view is shown on the bottom.

'The flying dragon can only be seen with infrared,' Whitney Clavin of JPL tells Boing Boing, 'It's a dark, dense cloud where stars are just beginning to form. In fact, the dragon will eventually metamorphose into a bright star-forming cloud like the one to the left of the dragon.'

More info, and larger sizes of this image, on the JPL website.

"